Tekoteko rigid heddle warping help

Hi all. I was hoping there is someone who could help me by explaining how I can warp this loom and be able to wind the weaving as I work it. As you can see by the photos, there is nothing that suggests a method to wind it. The only dowel piece that will rotate is the single one near the rear of the loom.

I understand the basic warping method, but I think I need to add dowel pieces to the front and back and attach with string? That and how to wind the warp on is where I am stuck. I am soo keen to start weaving

I've tried to find anything I can on this loom or the manufacturer with no luck. I can tell you that you will probably need to tie on apron rods, the dowels tied on with string, but since you said only one of the current rods moves I'm not quite certain how you'd crank everything on. What I would do is try to find a local weaving guild and see if any of the members can help you.

Hi, there. This is a cool loom! Without a tensioning system on the loom, adding an apron rod won't do you any good. Since there is no ratchet and pawl system for tensioning, I think you are meant to bring the warp and cloth over the back and front beams, respectively, and then fasten it for tension on the lower dowels, as you would with a card weaving loom (see http://www.lucets.com/weaving/two-castle.jpg for an example). You can tie it on or pin it. I saw an illustration yesterday in a Swedish book where they just folded the cloth as it was woven and safety-pinned it around the beam of a small loom.

I too have just acquired a tekoteko 4 shaft floor loom and have been searching high and low on the internet for the manufacturers of the looms. I've spent today dismantling, sanding, oiling and derusting the beater, heedles, harnesses etc. One of the harnesses is broken and im trying to figure out if I can get it fixed or order a new one - hence trying to contact the manufacturer. Also the beater was pretty rusty although its looking a million times better, I have a suspicion that the wool wont pass through it smoothly. Im still just trying to get my head around the terminology of weaving and am finding that dismantling and recording everything is actually helping learn how the loom works.

I've never woven before and im really keen to start. I've ordered some skeins of wool off Trademe so hopefully that arrives on Tuesday. Also I will be going along to the local weavers get together on Tuesday to learn some skills hopefully. Have you had any success in locating the manufacturers of this model loom.

How are you getting on with getting your loom up and running or have you given up? Would love to see some work that a newbie has started cause when you look on the internet you see all these wonderful creations but then figure they must have been weaving for years to make them so even and stunning.

Love to hear back from you.... Im presuming your in NZ so from one Kiwi to another - Cheers - heres to weaving!!!!

I don't know if you've find a sollution by now, but the only thing that comes to my mind is circular warping just like inkle loom. Of course that means limited length. Yet still you need a tention system as previously mentioned.

Old greek looms used to have simple piecies of wood stuck somewhere in between loom and warp (the pressure from both loom and warp kept them in place). A flat piece of wood (or more with different measurments) and length bigger than the loom good give or release tention if turned horisontally or vertically at the back of the loom. To get a picture look up the way they use the pick up stick at rigid heddle looms to make a shed. It's more or less the same thing, but you do it a the back of the loom to ajust tention.It's quite primitive but it's a start.

I hope I've been of some help. Let me know if you find out how it really works

At the risk of stating the obvious, have you Googled it? The first link I bought up was of a fellow Kiwi with one, only it looks as if yours might be incomplete according to her photos and what she has written in her blog entry. I would suggest contacting her to find out more as she does have a ratchet and pawl tensioning system on hers. Yours looks as if its set up as an inkle loom with a continuous warp so you would not be able to weave anything of any length, instead of a rigid heddle loom that should be capable of weaving several metres of cloth. In case you bring up a different search result, the link is

http://mystichillsngaroma.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/weaving.html

I have a French rigid heddle loom that takes a circular warp and will be adapting it to take a ratchet and pawl so I can weave longer lengths. You can buy those parts from an Ashford dealer, they are not expensive for the set, then anyone with a bit of proficiency in wood working could fit the cloth and warp beams that will make this looms very versatile.

I found this after a quick Google search https://plus.google.com/115558165321588976909/posts/Nc4e5RcqYSm If you look at the images, you will see that the rigid heddle loom closely resembles the one pictured in the start of this thread...it appears the beams are missing from the original posters loom..it even looks like there are holes filled in that might have one housed the beams. You can probably fashion some beams and make use of your loom, and perhaps these photos will help.